


Clean Up in Aisle 12

by dedougal



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-05
Updated: 2011-04-05
Packaged: 2017-10-17 15:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/178201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dedougal/pseuds/dedougal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Misha POV. Working at a supermarket sucks. But is made better when you can help your employees hook up. Or find true love. Or whatever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clean Up in Aisle 12

Misha scowled at the mess on the scuffed linoleum floor. He had a degree. He had qualifications. He had a sparkling personality and wasn’t completely hideous, even if he said so himself. His parents blamed the economy, said that people just weren’t hiring. His girlfriend had dumped him for an insurance salesman and here he was, cleaning up spilt soup in a supermarket.

Misha felt perfectly justified in his scowling. Then an evil grin crept across his face. He was a supervisor here. He had minions. Misha made his way to the customer service desk and pulled the microphone out from under the counter. He toggled the red button and leaned forward. “This is a colleague announcement. Jensen Ackles. Jensen Ackles. Clean up in aisle twelve. Clean up in aisle twelve.”

As he replaced the microphone under the desk, he caught sight of Jensen’s messy short hair disappearing into aisle twelve dragging a mop and bucket. Misha’s day was looking up.

 

The morning and evening shifts were the worst, Misha decided. Opening hours dictated that they be open long before anyone was awake and close long after everyone he knew was either in bed or moving on to the second club of the night. A wistful nostalgia for the halcyon days of college. At least, then, he had friends to hang around with. Now he had colleagues. That’s what head office liked to call them. But the opening and closing shifts sucked and because he was the newest supervisor, Misha sure as hell ended up with the worst schedule. Lots of opening and closing.

He always ended up hanging around Alona’s checkout when she was on. After he’d wandered around the store a couple of times, checking out the entire lack of customers, he would perch at the end of her checkout and rearrange bags. They would talk. And yawn. And mutter about not being allowed coffee on the shop floor.

That all changed when Alona transferred to a store nearer her home for summer break. Misha groaned. The approaching summer meant that the store became even quieter and duller. It also meant that he’d been out of college almost an entire year and had nothing to show for it. The store mainly served students from the college and, when they headed home for the summer, the town itself seemed to shut down.

Misha was given the responsibility of hiring replacements for the workers heading home. There was the usual bunch of applications from high school students who were too young for the posts, some college kids and a few stay at home moms desperate for some respite during the holidays. Misha very carefully sent off interview letters and arranged to speak to a short list. He decided to open up the store and see everyone for the posts in one day. This much responsibility made him feel practically giddy. The fact he was even excited about that caused him to order an extra three beers with his dinner that night.

On the other hand, he was still reeling from the fact that he was going to do something that didn’t involve dried foodstuffs when Jensen strolled over to the customer service desk. They weren’t exactly overwhelmed with customers but Misha felt it should be manned just in case. It was at a convenient leaning height.

Jensen was supposed to be restocking the ladies sanitary products. Misha was never quite sure how to take Jensen. Jensen was in his final year of a course in some science, possibly biology. He didn’t talk much. At least, he didn’t talk much to Misha. He spent a lot of time with Danneel (who Misha sometimes entertained very speculative ideas about but decided not to pursue after he saw her deal with an overfriendly and handsy customer) and certainly spoke to her. She was not his girlfriend, Misha decided to himself, but even still he was not entirely sure. The rest of the time Jensen spent with his head down. He never argued with Misha.

Jensen stood awkwardly in front of the counter. He shifted from foot to foot. Then he opened and closed his mouth a few times. Misha was always astonished when Jensen spoke. He remembered his voice as lighter, less husky than it was. “So, I hear you’re interviewing this morning.”

“Yes,” said Misha. He wondered why Jensen was so interested.

Jensen ran his hand over the back of his neck, ruffling up his hair. “There’s a guy. Jared. Jared Padalecki.”

Misha consulted his clipboard. “Is that how you say his name? I was wondering.”

“Jared was in one of my seminars last term.” Jensen was blushing now. “I told him about the vacancies.”

Misha half-wondered how Jensen managed to interact with a group of students in any meaningful way. “I can’t employ him just because of your recommendation.”

“No, no!” Jensen looked appalled. “I just... Could you keep him in mind? He’d be good here. He’s friendly and smiles a lot. He’s enthusiastic. He’s punctual.” Jensen trailed off from reciting Jared’s virtues. He was blushing furiously now.

Misha looked at him for a moment and said, “Sure.” It didn’t cost him anything to be nice to Jensen. Jensen nodded sharply and turned to head back to his shelf stacking. Danneel disappeared into the same aisle a moment later. Misha wondered what that was all about.

 

It wasn’t until much later that he realised what Jensen had really been asking. Jared was massively tall, muscled, polite and seemed to think that a pink shirt was suitable interviewing material. It was only a supermarket, Misha supposed, and mentally shrugged it off. And once Jared started talking, he was pretty much impossible to shut up. Misha liked that. He missed his Alona chats. Jared was also the first person he’d interviewed that seemed to have any social skills whatsoever. It was only when Jared made a passing reference to an ex-boyfriend leaving that Misha finally understood why Jensen had spoken to him.

Jensen really wasn’t dating Danneel. He wasn’t dating any girl. He was interested in dating Jared. And seeing Jared on a daily basis. In work.

Misha promised to let Jared know as soon as possible about the position and sat quietly in the staffroom to let his head recover. He was ready to head back for the next prospective employee when the door opened and Danneel let herself in.

“Hey, I’m interviewing in here,” he protested. Danneel placed a mug of coffee on the table in front of him. “But you can come anytime.”

“That’s what they all say,” Danneel responded drily. She sat down on the opposite chair. “So, you met Jared.”

“Yup,” Misha nodded. He lifted the coffee and sniffed at it. He was half appreciative and half suspicious. It smelled all right so he took a sip.

“You employ him and I’ll agree to one date.” Danneel bluntly stated. Misha sprayed the mouthful of coffee over the table.

“What? How? Why?” Misha mopped at his now damp trousers.

Danneel fixed him with a steely glare. “Jensen needs Jared. He’s been pining after him for months. I can only take so much sad Jensen. He’s majorly impairing my free time. I can only hear about Jared’s dimples and biceps so many times. And I kinda think you’re interesting.” Danneel stood up smartly. “It’s a sensible decision. I think you were probably going to choose him anyway. This is just extra incentive.”

Danneel let the door slam behind her before the next candidate knocked on it timidly. She had huge purple spectacles and smelled faintly of cat urine. The smell got stronger as she sweated her way through Misha’s simple questions. Misha realised Danneel was right. And also, date!

 

“Jared, can I ask you to shadow Jensen. He’ll take you through the basics of shelf stacking. Jensen, this is Jared. He’s new.” Misha kept a straight face as he introduced them.

Jensen flushed a dull red and Jared muttered. “We already know each other. Mr Ackles here was my TA last semester.”

“Mr Ackles?” Misha queried, a wry grin twisting his lips.

Jensen turned away. “It was a joke. A class joke.” He strolled up the aisle and Jared stumbled after him.

Misha turned to Danneel. “This is never going to work, is it?”

Danneel shook her head sadly. “Jensen can’t talk to him about anything other than cell development and Jared is pretty clueless too.”

Misha grinned. Danneel took a step back from him and looked at him suspiciously. “I never would have believed I’m about to say this, but I think this job is about to become much more interesting.”

 

Misha met Danneel at the customer service desk after their breaks to chat. Misha had called it a plotting session but Danneel had hit him over the back of the head. When he arrived, she was focused on the security feed. She was shaking her head sadly.

“Making them work together isn’t really helping,” she said as he scooted around the counter. Misha soon understood what she was meaning. Jensen had set Jared to stocking the cereal boxes and was working on the opposite side of the aisle on the tea and coffee. Danneel pumped her fist in the air when she noticed Jared turning round to check out Jensen – that’s what she told Misha anyway – but her crestfallen expression reappeared when Jared turned around the minute Jensen looked up.

“I wouldn’t have said Jared was exactly shy...” Misha muttered.

Danneel huffed a laugh. “Jared’s friend Chad’s girlfriend told me that Jared has been nursing a crush on Jensen since he met him. Like serious. Like saying his name when sleeping serious. And Jensen told me about this amazing guy the minute that first class had ended. And apparently Jared has been hurt really badly in the past and turns into this silent stalker who can’t say anything to the object of his affection.”

Misha digested this new information. “Does this make me a fairy godmother? Because I’m not wearing wings.”

“You’d look cute in wings,” Danneel answered. She looked at the screen again. “How on Earth are we going to get them to talk to each other?”

 

Misha’s suggestion involved alcohol. He’d never been one for team-building exercises, thinking that it was a supermarket not the army. Nobody needed to die for a member of their team here. On the other hand, it would look good to the general manager. But running about woods shooting each other with paintballs or building towers out of newspaper seemed a little too intense as well. In the end, he went for the simplest team building exercise he could think of. The bar.

And it worked fairly well. Danneel admitted to being impressed when Misha made everyone sit in alphabetical order and do a Mexican Wave shot round. She showed her appreciation by crawling into his lap and giving him the best view down her somewhat low cut top. She was wearing a tiger print bra.

Operation Jared and Jensen was not going quite so swimmingly. They stayed sitting beside each other and every so often Misha heard a conversation stutter into being – about school, or the store, or sport – and then fade out again. Jensen kept drinking and soon looked much the worse for wear. He stumbled off towards the bathroom and his seat was immediately taken by Katie, one of the other new hires. Jared looked much happier talking to her and Jensen slumped next to Misha and Danneel when he returned.

Jensen kept drinking. He also became more focused on Jared, watching him constantly. Misha couldn’t take much more. “Why don’t you go back and talk to him?”

Jensen looked at him like he was mad. “Why? I can barely string two words together around him. And he’s not interested in me. I bet he’s not even gay.”

Danneel leaned over and slapped Jensen on the back of the head. Misha winced at the audible clink the bottle made as it smashed into Jensen’s front teeth. “He likes you. He’s gay. He’s never even tried to look down my top. Like you.”

“And Danneel has perfect breasts,” Misha put in, hoping to bolster Danneel’s argument. He received his own slap to the back of his head. “I mean, every guy who is the slightest bit straight would want Danneel’s breasts.”

Jensen and Danneel were now looking at him with almost identical expressions of shock. Then Jensen turned green and ran for the door of the bar. Danneel followed. Misha realised his entire plan had been pretty much a total disaster.

 

Misha came into the store the next day carrying a very expensive muffin and two cups of coffee. Danneel ignored him as he wandered over to the service desk in his dark sunglasses, but the slightest grin crossed her face when he solemnly placed the offering in front of her. He then scurried off to make other people’s lives miserable in revenge for the pounding in his head.

Jared looked the worse for wear when he came in, frown totally unlike his usual cheerful demeanour. His eyes were bloodshot and he still smelled of alcohol. Misha hung around to see he wasn’t going to throw up on any merchandise and banished him to the toiletries aisle. He wondered if he should be a good boss and ask if anything was wrong but Misha’s courage deserted him. He skulked near the checkouts and tried to ignore the uncomfortable atmosphere in the building.

Danneel wandered over while Misha was hanging out at the back of the store mournfully scuffing his feet through the dirt. Misha had smoked but he’d stopped when he realised how much money he was wasting. And, you know, cancer. He still missed the feel of that calming smoke and the way he always had something to do with his hands. Danneel handed over a can of soda. Misha took a long swallow.

“What do we do now?” Misha had run out of ideas.

Danneel shook her head. “I’ve tried telling him just to speak to Jared. We’ve tried the working together thing. We’ve tried the alcohol. I really don’t know.” She took a sip of her own soda. “And I’d really like them to date.”

“Because you want to see Jensen happy?” Misha suggested, looking at Danneel from under his lashes.

“Because I want him out of my house sometimes. So I can...” Danneel cut herself off, blushing. Misha wondered what she was about to say. He half hoped it might have something to do with the date she had half jokingly promised him. “Jensen is a great flatmate. It would be nice to have some space sometimes.”

“And he could go over to his boyfriend’s...” Misha prompted.

Danneel mumbled into her soda. “And I could have mine over. Can’t really go make out at his parents’ house, after all.”

“It’s a basement flat. Totally not...” Misha took a deep breath. “Not that you were talking about me. But you’re right. We should get Jensen a boyfriend so you can make out on your own sofa.” Misha’s brain added a few other places he’d like to make out with Danneel. The kitchen. The bedroom. The shower. He was very onboard with any plan. “Cupboards,” he blurted.

Danneel raised her eyebrow quizzically, a move she had to have stolen from Jensen.

“We should lock them in a closet.” Misha waved his hands as he explained and the soda fizzed from the open can. He sucked it down and watched Danneel hopefully.

Danneel slowly nodded. “I could see that. Today?”

“Why not?” Misha grinned frantically. He was back in the game.

 

He let Danneel tell Jensen to restock the rice and grains. He told Jared to stock take in the store cupboard and lurked, stealthily and not at all ominously, outside in the fresh fruit chiller. The backroom of the store was bigger than the store itself and huge strips of neon tube lights didn’t make that much of a difference in the grey concrete gloom. Jensen was scuffing his feet when he came along. He grabbed a moving crate and pushed it into the store cupboard with the dry goods. Misha did his best ninja move and pushed the door shut. He flipped the latch and listened.

Danneel scurried in through the swinging stockroom doors. Her eyes were bright with excitement. “Did it work?”

Just then the sound of two enormous fists slammed against the door. Two distinct voices called out for help and then Danneel’s mobile rang. She grinned as she answered it. That time her grin was bordering on evil. “Hello.”

“Dani!” Jensen’s panicked voice come over the tinny speaker. “I’m locked in the stock room cupboard.”

“How did you manage that?” Danneel teased.

Jensen’s groan was also audible. “It’s not just me. Tom’s stuck in here too and he’s claustrophobic. Could you come let us out?”

Misha and Danneel shared shocked glances. Misha slunk off, back to his hiding place in the chiller. Danneel waited until he was out of sight and opened the door. Tom ran for the employees’ bathroom and Jensen let him. “I think I should go tell Mike. He might want to take Tom home.”

Danneel hugged her friend sympathetically. “It’ll all work out.”

 

Due to Tom and Mike’s speedy departure and a phone call from the late shift supervisor, Misha, Jensen and Jared ended up pulling a double shift. He could forgive Tom and Mike – that was his own stupid fault – but he was less sympathetic to his counterpart’s childcare issues. Misha ended up taking a checkout to let the guys get a break. Alison came to relieve him at five.

Misha checked his watch. Jensen and Jared had been away for more than their allocated fifteen. He did a quick stroll through the aisles of the shop but couldn’t see them anywhere. He checked back in with Danneel but when she flipped through the security feed, they were nowhere to be seen.

Misha decided to check the staff areas. No luck in the employees’ bathroom. Nobody in the locker room. He made his way to the staff room where he’d run his interviews. There was an odd thump against the door as he neared it. Instead of pushing it open, Misha leaned his ear very carefully against the thin plywood.

He did a silent (and in no way dorky) dance of celebration when he heard the noises through the door. There was the distinct wet sound of fairly intense kissing, followed by a low noise that could only be a groan. He considered knocking but then a voice came through the wood.

“We should stop. Go back out. Our breaks were over ages ago.” It was Jensen. He sounded like he’d been running a marathon.

Jared didn’t reply for a long moment. “Sure. We could. If you’d stop kissing me... there.” His voice squeaked a little on the last word. There were some more muffled noises. Misha decided he didn’t need to hear anymore.

He came back to the customer service desk and leaned across. He handed Danneel a rose he’d rescued from the damages pile.

“What’s this for?” she asked, suspiciously. Misha just smiled and turned to lean his back against the desk. Danneel hit him on the back of the head. “Did you find them?”

Misha nodded. “I did.”

Danneel squealed. And then stopped. “Wait. Where are they?”

“Still working through their communication difficulties, I imagine.” Misha let his smile broaden. The doors to the employee area opened and Jensen and Jared stumbled through. Both their lips were swollen and reddened. Jared had the beginnings of quite a spectacular hickey on the left side of his neck and Jensen’s uniform polo shirt was untucked at the back. They looked guilty. Misha waved at them.

Jensen ducked his head and made to move off to hide in cleaning supplies. Jared caught his hand before he got very far and whispered in his ear. They both looked at Danneel and Misha and near identical expressions of mischief crossed their faces. Jensen tugged Jared towards the customer services desk.

“So, Jared and I are going to watch a movie at his place tonight,” Jensen began.

Jared jumped in. “And that would leave Danneel all alone.” He waggled his eyebrows. Misha wondered if it was supposed to be suggestively.

“What does that have to do with me?” Misha demanded. He was ready to start flexing his supervisor muscles and order them to opposite sides of the store.

Jared tried to look innocent and failed miserably. “You’re thoughtful and good at planning. And stuff.”

Misha sneered at him and turned to Danneel. She was looking quite pointedly at Jared’s neck. “I can take care of myself,” she told them, unimpressed. “You pair need to go take care of restocking.” She pulled the clipboard out from under the desk and looked it over. She started laughing.

Misha grabbed the list and looked it over. He smothered his laugh with a cough. “Yeah. Restocking. Aisle fourteen please.”

Jared looked confused as Jensen slapped his hand over his mouth and blushed bright red. He would have used his other hand too but it was still captured firmly in Jared’s hand. “What’s in aisle fourteen?” Jared asked.

“Male toiletries.” Jensen muttered. They were still attached as they headed towards the back room.

“And no testing the merchandise!” Danneel yelled, unable to stop herself.

Jensen flipped her the bird over his shoulder.

“Male toiletries?” Misha heard Jared ask.

Jensen leaned close. “Condoms. And lube.” Misha watched in satisfaction as he blushed even darker but smiled happily at the same time.

“Oh yeah,” Jared lowered his voice but Misha could still hear them. “I’ve already got that.”

Misha picked up the clipboard and crossed off the restock. The doors whooshed open and the first of the after work shoppers rushed through, baskets in hand. His eyes met Danneel’s over the top of the clipboard. She lowered her head and looked up through her eyelashes, twirling a stray red lock around her finger. The studied flirtation was so unlike her usual direct approach that he felt completely at sea.

Misha opened and closed his mouth a few times, feeling a little goldfish like. Danneel stopped acting like some coquettish teenager. She switched to a genuine smile. “I guess you held up your part of the bargain.”

Misha reckoned that maybe working in a supermarket wasn’t the total utter disaster that he thought it was.


End file.
